In Praise Of Followers Essay

31 – In Praise of Followers – Robert E. Kelley

• Leaders need their followers in order to succeed.

• In 1987 a group was put together without a leader and they were successful.

• The role of follower:

• Bosses are not necessarily good leaders; subordinates are not necessarily effective followers.

• The reality is that we are most often followers than leaders. o Even when we have subordinates, we still have bosses.

• Some effective followers choose followership as their primary role at work and serve as team players who take satisfaction in helping to further a cause, an idea, a product, a service, or, more rarely, a person. Others are leaders in some situations but choose the follower role in a particular context.

• Followers show their

o The build their competence and focus their efforts for maximum impact. o They are courageous, honest, and credible.

• Self-Management:

• The key to being an effective follower is the ability to think for oneself, to exercise control and independence and to work without close supervision. They are more likely to openly disagree with leaders.

• Ineffective followers: buy into the hierarchy and become power-hungry.

• Self-managed followers save a company money because they do not have to pay someone to constantly tell them what to do and how to do it.

• Commitment:

• Effective followers are committed to something – a cause, a product, an organization, and idea – in addition to the care of their own lives and careers.

• Commitment is contagious, people like working with others who have their heart in it.

• On the other hand, followers who are strongly committed to goals not consistent with the goals of their companies can produce destructive results.

• Competence and Focus

• Effective followers generally hold higher performance standards than the work environment requires, and continuing education is second nature to them, a staple of their professional